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Which of the following would not be called an original remain fossil?

1) plant fossil
2) fly caught in amber
3) dinosaur tooth
4) frozen woolly

User Fadecomic
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Final answer:

The option that would not be called an original remain fossil is plant fossil, as it often does not contain preserved organic material and is more likely to be an impression or compression, unlike the other examples that include parts of the organism such as a fly in amber, a dinosaur tooth, or a frozen woolly mammoth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which of the following would not be called an original remain fossil: 1) plant fossil 2) fly caught in amber 3) dinosaur tooth 4) frozen woolly mammoth. An original remain fossil is a fossil that includes parts of the actual organism, such as bones, teeth, or complete bodies preserved in amber or ice. Of the options given, all but the first, the plant fossil, are typically considered to be original remains because they directly contain parts of the living organism. Plant fossils, on the other hand, often form through a process of permineralization or carbonization and are more likely to be impressions or compressions rather than preserved organic material. Therefore, a plant fossil would not be called an original remain fossil in most cases.

Furthermore, unaltered remains such as a fly caught in amber, a dinosaur tooth, or a frozen woolly mammoth like Effie, found in Alaska 21,300 years ago with tissue and hair still intact, are clear examples of original remain fossils. Scientists distinguish these from permineralized bones by examining the preservation state; original remains still have organic material present, whereas permineralized fossils have had their organic material replaced with minerals while retaining their original shape.

User Ray Wallace
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